Tag Archives: de Blasio

Queens Gazette: De Blasio, APICHA Chosen As Pride Parade Grand Marshals

  May 28, 2015 ,

Mayor Bill de Blasio (r.) marches in the 2014 Queens Pride Parade alongside Queens Pride founder and Councilman Daniel Dromm (l.). De Blasio was the first mayor to march in the parade in its 23-year history and will serve as the 2015 Grand Marshal. Multi- Platinum winner CeCe Peniston is the headlining entertainer.

Queens Pride will celebrate the 23rd Pride Parade and Festival on Sunday, June 7 in Jackson Heights. “This year’s theme, ‘Pride – Strength – Unity’ highlights the diversity that is Queens. Queens has the largest number of language/ethnic groups in the whole USA. Despite this linguistic and cultural vastness, we all come together to celebrate our accomplishments and continue to work towards further advancements” said Alan Reiff, Co-Chair, Queens Pride.

The parade’s Grand Marshals will include Mayor Bill de Blasio and APICHA Health Center. De Blasio was the first Mayor to march in a Queens Pride Parade (2014), as well as having a strong stance on increasing LGBT rights and inclusion in the city. Multi-Platinum singer CeCe Peniston will headline the festival celebrating the Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community in Queens.

Councilman Daniel Dromm said,“When I founded the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee over 20 years ago, I was hopeful that we would increase the visibility of the LGBT community in Queens in a positive and impactful way. Having the Mayor of the City of New York as our Grand Marshal shows just how far we have come. The Mayor’s presence is an acknowledgment that the LGBT community in Queens and throughout the city is visible, welcome and included. I’m very proud of all the people who pour countless volunteer hours into making this event so special every year. I look forward to many more years of this celebration of LGBT pride in Queens.”

Read more here.

Chalkbeat: De Blasio signs bill requiring annual special education reports

  March 31, 2015 ,

By Sarah Darville

Parents and advocates will have access to new data about how well the city is serving its special-education students next year, thanks to a new city law.

Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the bill, which requires the Department of Education to produce an annual special-education report, on Monday. He was flanked by City Council education committee chair Daniel Dromm and Corinne Rello-Anselmi, the Department of Education’s deputy chancellor in charge of special education.

The annual reports will detail how long students wait to be evaluated and to receive services, as well as the percentage of students whose needs are being partially and fully met across the city and in each of the city’s school districts.

The reports will also break down those statistics by students’ race, gender, grade, English language learner status, and free or reduced-price lunch status, which advocates have said will provide a better look at exactly who is receiving required special-education services and where schools, or the city, are falling short.

“This will help us to determine what changes are necessary to create better, more responsive special education services and ultimately, benefit many thousands of students,” Dromm said.
The city’s first report will be released in February 2016 and will include statistics for the 2014-15 school year. Subsequent reports will be released each November.

Read more here.

Irish Central: De Blasio set to boycott NY St. Patrick’s Day Parade, say insiders

  February 11, 2015 ,

By Debbie McGoldrick and Cahir O’Doherty

It appears New York Mayor Bill de Blasio will again boycott this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Fifth Avenue because of the lack of an Irish gay group in the line of march, multiple sources have told the Irish Voice. A non-Irish gay group from NBC, OUT@NBCUniversal, will march.

On Tuesday, City Council Member Daniel Dromm of Queens confirmed to the Irish Voice that a majority of council members, including Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito, will not take part in the parade. The council formally boycotted and withdrew its banner from last year’s march in protest, and plans on doing the same for 2015, Dromm confirmed.

“I won’t march until an Irish gay group can march,” Dromm told the Irish Voice.

“And there will be no council banner in this year’s parade – of course there won’t,” he added.

The decision by the parade committee to allow a gay group to march next month for the first time – OUT@NBCUniversal – came about for corporate reasons only, Dromm said.

“It’s not acceptable to us,” Dromm added. “We’ve been struggling for 25 years to have an Irish gay group in the march and they still won’t allow us to march.”

When asked if de Blasio should march on Fifth Avenue next month, Dromm was adamant.

“No,” he said. “I hope no elected official takes part in the march until an Irish gay group is allowed.”

Read more here.